Update on the Career Front

After spending the last couple of months searching want ads and coming up with nothing unless you're a nurse, in finance, a web page designer, or want to work in a convenience store... I started thinking about things that have simply drawn my interest. The one thing that has stuck with me since I started doing all of this soul searching is herbalism. I've always been into alternative medicine, am a huge proponent of yoga & meditation, am the recycling nazi in the house, I only use the all natural cleaning products that I make, and even make many of my own personal care products. I adore teas and am fascinated by the healing properties of herbs.

My little container herb garden. That's Jack peeking out the window.

The whole herbalism thing is something that I had been tossing around with Scott for a little while and I'm not sure he knew what to make of it until we went to visit Saint Augustine recently. We visited Old City Remedies which is housed in the Nation's Oldest Drugstore. They have an absolutely amazing assortment of teas and herbs and I was simply in heaven in there. Scott looked at me and said "You can do something like this." I was shocked, astounded, excited, and wishing I could have it right that second. And then my doubtful brain kicked in and I thought about how small businesses typically don't make any money the first couple years they're around. After thinking about it (let's face it: obsessing about it) for a couple of weeks, I finally decided to start reading my Small Business for Dummies book and I ordered Lesson One of Rosemary Gladstar's The Science and Art of Herbalism.

This is the first idea that I've loved since I started going crazy about all of this stuff recently, so I figured that I should go with my gut and give it a shot. I must admit, though, that it's incredibly intimidating to switch career paths to something completely different than anything I have ever done. It also feels like a tremendous risk to go into business for myself especially when we are so concerned about paying our bills. It is going to take training (herbalism & small biz training), research, and a lot of dedication but it's an area I feel strongly about, I would get to create daily in addition to the day to day business aspects, and get to be my own boss. I hope I don't hate it when I get there and I hope I don't get lazy in the process of trying to get there. It also didn't escape me that this isn't something that I can dive into and that I will be stuck at my sucky job for probably another year or so while all of this comes together. Here's to hoping that I can hold it together that long!